Town & Country

When geography matters

WHEN is a Cornish pasty not a Cornish pasty? When it has been made outside the county and uses any vegetables other than potato, swede and onion and any meat other than beef. A major worry for the makers and producers of such famously specific products, from Arbroath smokies to Fal oysters, Anglesey sea salt and Welsh lamb to Kentish ale and Melton Mowbray pork pies, has been whether this legal guarantee of authenticity would continue when Britain left the EU—the sector represents a quarter of the value of all British food and drink exports and was worth some £6 billion in export value last year.

Now, Defra has launched a replacement Geographical Indication (GI) scheme with new logos to denote Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)—this covers such famous names as Jersey Royal potatoes and Stilton cheese—Protected Geographical Indication